THIS INVENTION relates to a badge and more particularly a badge of the type used by military, para-military, police, or other law enforcement services to indicate the name, rank, and/or affiliation of a person. It also relates to a method of making such a badge.
According to the invention there is provided a badge which comprises a backing element of flexible sheet material having a front face and a rear face and is cut to define the outline of the badge, and an insignia device of moulded plastics material on said front face and affixed to the sheet material.
The insignia device may have a rearwardly extending stud of thermoplastic material, the stud penetrating the backing element and having had its rear end melted back to form a thickened portion which secures the stud against withdrawal from the backing element.
The insignia device including the stud may be an injection moulded component of thermoplastic material.
Further according to the invention there is provided a method of making a badge of the type comprising a backing element of flexible sheet material having a front face and a rear face, and an insignia device on said front face, wherein the insignia device is provided as an element with a rearwardly extending stud of thermoplastic material, wherein the stud is caused to penetrate the backing element, and wherein the rear end of the stud is then melted back so as to form the stud with a thickened portion which secures the stud against withdrawal from the backing element.
Where the badge is provided with a fixing element on the rear face of the backing element, the stud may be caused to pass also through a close-fitting opening in the fixing element before being melted back, the thickened portion in this event securing the stud against withdrawal from the opening in the fixing element.
Further according to the invention there is provided a badge which comprises a backing element of flexible sheet material having a front face and a rear face, and an insignia device on said front face, the insignia device being in the form of an element with a rearwardly extending stud of thermoplastic material, and the stud penetrating the backing element and having had its rear end melted back to form a thickened portion which secures the stud against withdrawal from the backing element.
The badge may further comprise a fixing element on the rear face of the backing element, the stud also passing through a close-fitting opening in the fixing element, whereby the thickened portion secures the stud against withdrawal from the opening in the fixing element.
The badge may comprise two or more of said insignia devices, each insignia device being in the form of an element with a rearwardly extending stud of thermoplastic material, and the stud of each insignia device passing through a corresponding close-fitting opening in the fixing element.
The fixing element may be an injection moulded component.
The fixing element may comprise a base plate lying face-to-face on the backing element, and a clip arm for clipping the badge to a belt or garment pocket, the clip arm being formed integrally with the base plate.
The clip arm may be provided with rearwardly protruding means for positively affixing the badge to a garment. Said means may be in the form of a button formation.
The button formation may be provided at or near the free end of the clip arm.
In one form of the invention the insignia device may in the form of a name plate, the name plate comprising a backing plate, an insignia strip applied to a front face of the backing plate, the edges of the insignia strip being set back from the edges of the backing plate, and a covering of hardened epoxy resin covering the insignia strip and edge portions of the backing plate peripherally of the insignia strip.
The resin may form a convex meniscus.
The backing plate may have a peripherally extending rim, the insignia strip being a close fit within the confines of the rim.
Further according to the invention there is provided a badge which comprises a clip arm for clipping the badge to a garment pocket, and a securing element attached or attachable to the clip arm, the securing element being adapted to pass through an opening in the material defining said pocket, thereby to secure the badge against dislodgement from the garment.
The securing element may be in the form of a rearwardly protruding button formation.
In one form of the invention the button formation may be irremovably connected to the clip arm.
The clip arm may have a screw-threaded hole therein, the button formation comprising a screw-threaded button stem whereby the button formation can be screwed into the screw-threaded hole.
Further according to the invention there is provided a badge and garment combination, wherein the badge has a rearwardly protruding button formation and wherein there is a button-hole in the garment or in a piece of fabric affixed to the garment, the button formation cooperating with the button hole to hold the badge in place on the garment.
Further according to the invention there is provided a badge which has a rearwardly protruding button formation adapted to pass through a button hole in a garment or in a piece of fabric affixed to the garment.
In one form of the invention the badge may be in the form of a shoulder flash having a slot therein at an upper end thereof, through which an epaulette flap of the garment can pass, the button formation being at or near the lower end of the badge.
In another form of the invention the badge may comprise a backing element of flexible sheet material having a front face and a rear face, an insignia device on said front face, and a fixing element on said rear face, the button formation being on the fixing element, and the insignia device being fastened to the fixing element via one or more studs passing through the backing element.
Further according to the invention there is provided, in combination, a badge which has a rearwardly protruding button formation, and a piece of fabric having a button-hole therein through which the button formation can pass, the piece of fabric being affixable to a garment with which the badge is to be used.
The piece of fabric may be in the form of a pocket having front and rear panels, the button-hole being in the rear panel of the pocket.
The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.